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Despite the high failure rate of African American small businesses in the United States, only 2% of the U.S. Small Business Administration loans in 2016 were awarded to African American business owners. Most small business owners cite lack of access to financial resources as an influential factor that leads to business failure. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies African American small business owners in Los Angeles County, California use to obtain financial resources to achieve sustainability for at least 5 years. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 4 purposively selected African American small business owners and supplemented with a review of internal reports and original business plans that outlined their financing strategy. The data analysis process entailed Yin's 5-step analysis to guide the coding of participants' responses to identify keywords, phrases, and concepts to develop theme clusters. Through thematic analysis, 4 themes emerged to include: financial resources improved business success and stability, internal financing, business mentors and networking to secure financial stability, and overcoming nonfinancial challenges. All participants noted access to financial resources as the most important resource needed for their business to succeed, particularly in the initial phase of launching their businesses. The implications for social change include the potential to enhance African American small business profitability and growth leading to new employment opportunities, improved community amenities, and business mentor programs with youth, which can encourage wealth for the surrounding community of Los Angeles County and local government.

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This study investigates the history of the phenomenon illiteracy and the response of the public library in selected countries for about one hundred and fifty years with particular focus on the Republic of south Africa. The influence that this manifestation has on the individual Black urban adult, the society in which the illiterate adult lives and the economy of the country are sharply focused. The principal argument is that public libraries have historically adapted their services to meet new social challenges, and in South Africa illiteracy among Black urban adults constitutes such a challenge. As an extension of its traditional educational function, the public library is beginning to meet this challenge in the role of literacy support. The reasons for the high illiteracy rate among the Black adult urban population are discussed in their historical context. As far as the methodology is concerned, extensive literature studies were undertaken on international as well as local data bases. Correspondence was entered into with overseas research institutes, academics and consultants. Interviews were conducted to ascertain the most recent developments relating to the literacy problem in a well-defined geographical region. Conclusions are made to the effect that there is a historical imperative for the South African public library system to fully discharge its responsibility to Black South Africans. In order to achieve this the public library in South Africa should re-examine, re-interpret and extend its educational function to include the challenge of the role of literacy support. It is further reconunended that the Provincial Library services in south Africa should coordinate disparate efforts and activities in this regard. The marketing of the public library has become more important in the prevailing economic climate. If the public library wishes to remain an indispensable social institution in the lives of the citizens of South Africa and specifically if it takes the role of literacy support seriously, it will of necessity have to market its services. Other organizational implications for public libraries of this new challenge of literacy support are spelled out clearly and areas requiring further research are indicated. / Information Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.

Kwame Nkrumah was the first African leader to pursue the idea of Africa’s continent-wide unity with fervour. Many thought that African unity will only be the pooling of poverty and that Nkrumah’s dream was impossible. Nkrumah was known for his philosophy "Seek ye first the political kingdom and all things shall be added unto it". He thought that political unity should precede economic unity, which would naturally follow. Even though the newly independent African states agreed on the necessity of unity, his philosophy was not welcomed when the Organisation of African Unity was established in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in 1963. Rather, delegates opted for incremental political integration leading to economic integration –an aspiration that Africa is still struggling to bring to fruition. This study demonstrates that Nkrumah’s idea of political unity before economic integration was and still is valid for Africa’s continent-wide unity. To this end, the study will use textual sources and use diachronic and integrative approaches as analytical tools. / Political Sciences / M.A. (International Politics)

This study investigates the history of the phenomenon illiteracy and the response of the public library in selected countries for about one hundred and fifty years with particular focus on the Republic of south Africa. The influence that this manifestation has on the individual Black urban adult, the society in which the illiterate adult lives and the economy of the country are sharply focused. The principal argument is that public libraries have historically adapted their services to meet new social challenges, and in South Africa illiteracy among Black urban adults constitutes such a challenge. As an extension of its traditional educational function, the public library is beginning to meet this challenge in the role of literacy support. The reasons for the high illiteracy rate among the Black adult urban population are discussed in their historical context. As far as the methodology is concerned, extensive literature studies were undertaken on international as well as local data bases. Correspondence was entered into with overseas research institutes, academics and consultants. Interviews were conducted to ascertain the most recent developments relating to the literacy problem in a well-defined geographical region. Conclusions are made to the effect that there is a historical imperative for the South African public library system to fully discharge its responsibility to Black South Africans. In order to achieve this the public library in South Africa should re-examine, re-interpret and extend its educational function to include the challenge of the role of literacy support. It is further reconunended that the Provincial Library services in south Africa should coordinate disparate efforts and activities in this regard. The marketing of the public library has become more important in the prevailing economic climate. If the public library wishes to remain an indispensable social institution in the lives of the citizens of South Africa and specifically if it takes the role of literacy support seriously, it will of necessity have to market its services. Other organizational implications for public libraries of this new challenge of literacy support are spelled out clearly and areas requiring further research are indicated. / Information Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.

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